The present invention relates to nanolaminated structures, particularly to flat, polished surfaces of nanolaminate composites to enhance the detection of dilute analyte particles in water, and more particularly flat, polished surfaces of nanolaminates having trenches and/or baffles selectively etched therein to increase the amount of exposed conductive materials in the flat surfaces or to screen the conductive materials from analytes of larger sizes, thereby increasing the sensitivity or selectivity of detection devices.
Electrophoretic and electrochemical devices have been proposed that employ flat, polished, exposed surfaces of nanolaminate composites to enhance the detection of dilute analyte particles. The nanolaminate composites were formed by magnetron sputtering of alternating layers of a conductive material and an insulative material, such as silica and alumina, whereafter the composites were cut and polished to expose a nanolaminate surface as a sensor. These prior nanolaminate composites or structures are exemplified by the sensor template described and claimed in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/167,926, filed Jun. 11, 2002.
The present invention is an improvement of the prior nanolaminate approach and comprises the formation of trenches and baffles in the flat exposed surface of the nanolaminate, the formation of such trenches and baffles being carried out by selective etching, whereby greater exposed conductive surfaces are produced in the nanolaminate, or the conductive surfaces are recessed and screened by insulating baffles.